Santogold - 'LES Artistes'
Some music stirs something in you. A lot of music simply aspires to and ends up failing and making you hate it. Other times, though, a song or an album or a whole goddamn back catalogue grabs you and makes you feel a bit weak at the knees and wish it would maybe snog you.
Not totally like that, of course; sometimes that's just musical crushing, which is totally different. The thing I'm talking about is when songs are Romantic; like a truly stirring piece of philosophy or a piece of art, rather than like when your boyfriend brings you a cup of tea and some flowers. This is the sort of feeling you get when something suggests it's going to change everything. I can't help it, I'm a massive sucker for romanticised revolution and there's nothing more charismatic than the "come with me, it's us against the world" sentiment when expressed through exceptionally beautiful words or sounds.
This is, if you haven't guessed yet, one of those songs. There's nothing necessarily massively innovative about it; it's mostly just a groovy piece of atmospheric shoegaze but there's something statuesque about the thing that makes me feel a bit funny inside and have to put it on repeat a lot and stare into the middle-distance behind my monitor, eyes slightly glazed, murmuring the lyrics like a mantra.
There's something very beautiful in the loneliness expressed in this song- the abandonment, the isolation. Something there definitely appeals and maybe it's not quite as clever as the video would like to make it seem (although said video is utterly exceptional) but the ache in the chorus, I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up if I can stand up mean for the things that I believe is not a light lyric, although there's nothing especially complex about it.
There've been a lot of songs recently that try and deal with disenfranchisement but fail to hit the mark, at least with me. Namely, there's been all that rather rubbish jaunt-rebellion indie that seems mostly engaged in trying to find something to rebel against that isn't too hard and involves a lot of self-rightousness. This song is different, Santi actually sounds cold, distancing herself from proceedings in a way that makes her seem kind of cruel, at least towards herself.
The message of the song is one of artistic integrity but it could be transferred to any moment of determination. The point is the way it grips, not necessarily hopefully but grimly, having gone too far to stop now. It's romantic in its bleakness, as atmospheric as the heady combination of semi-oriental clanks and squeals and sweeping soul that make up the music.
That said, this isn't the world's most groundbreaking piece of music; Santi has a distinctive voice but the music is relatively average, albeit in a pleasant and non-generic manner and the lyrics aren't really hugely new. However, sometimes these things just work, and although I worry that my emotional connection to the song may well be stunting my ability to be objective about it, I think that's precisely what it's for, as a piece of music.
Download: Out now
CD Released: May 5th
(Hazel Robinson)
PS: The very, very good music blog has a free download of a remix of this song.
Comment number 1.
At 2nd May 2008, katstevens wrote:She has the same blank stare in that video as Leona Lewis does in her new one. Perhaps they've been swapping staring tips?
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Comment number 2.
At 2nd May 2008, loo wrote:Ha! I was just thinking she looks a lil like Leona Lewis.
I like this song, good review. The video is equally repulsive and great (v strange), you see the person being attacked viciously which makes you feel sick and then sand or paint pours out.
But defo a Leona lookalike
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Comment number 3.
At 4th May 2008, Paul McCluskey wrote:These 3 songs are the most amazingly romantic wedding songs, that send shivers down my spine every time I hear them:
1. If You're Not The One - Daniel Bedingfield
2. Amazed - Lonestar
3. As - Stevie Wonder
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